Reflection is a powerful tool in yoga and mindfulness that can save us time in the long run and foster a freedom of heart, breaking us free from feeling imprisoned from past hurts.
Neuroscience reveals that when we allow fear to rule our lives, the amygdala, our brain’s threat center activates, leading to heightened anxiety and a limited capacity for growth. In fact, studies show that chronic fear responses can shrink the hippocampus, impairing our ability to learn and adapt. By engaging in reflection, we cultivate the courage to be honest with ourselves, transforming fear into insight and allowing us to shed our old skin. (For the neuroscience lovers who love to learn ‘why’ and for those who want to see for themselves through ‘practice’ – The Mindful Mentor Program & Trauma Aware Mindfulness Meditation & Yoga Therapy Programs / Teacher Training include what happens inside the brain and how & why Mindfulness & Meditation can help “Shed Your Skin”. This is a metaphor for releasing past experiences so that it does not prevent us from evolving.
Below is a little ‘Mindful Musing’ on how the iconic Hunters & Collectors song ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ can become a Metaphor reflecting Mindfulness Practice. It echos the philosophical message associated with The Year of the Snake. I’ve titled it “Shed Your Skin & let’s get started” and although it may not make sense to everyone out of context of The Mindful Mentor Program & discussions we have inside Teacher Training – it does highlight The Two Wings of Mindfulness – Compassion & Discernment. How, with practice these two wings can be a pathway to freeing us from suffering – caused by Fear.
It may make more sense to those who have been practicing with some of the guided practices & sharing discussions in my programs about those times in life where we may have a habit of running or avoiding hard conversations out of fear that we may get hurt again. It also relates to the battle we may face between authenticity and attachment . All of these things can cause the ‘Body to Keep Score’ when it comes to stress, tension and disease. However with practice we can set it free. That is what Meditation is for – “enlightenment – to be able to see clearly”
Those who enjoy learning through Metaphor, Music, Dance, Movement, story telling – come along to our FREE YOUR MYND Immersion (Mindfulness Yoga Neuroscience Dance) it includes a Guest DJ Anne Afrodite.
Those who want to skip straight to the info about Creative Mindfulness Teacher Training, The Mindful Mentor Program – the links are at the end.
~ Shed your skin & let’s get started !
This week my stealth yoga message came in the form of a beautiful soul sharing a passing comment
“Its the year of the snake
Snakes never go back to their old skin” 💝
It really resonated
This message morphed into a Guided Mindfulness Meditation I lead at Yoga NRG classes today on the back end of chatting about compromise.
As I guided a meditation on shedding your skin
My mind as it does went to the Hunters & Collectors song
🎶Shed your skin and let’s get started! (Bloody good song)
Anyway the intention behind the guided practice wasn’t one night stands (as the song goes)
~ But rather questioning
“What stands in the way” of us shredding our old skin?
What makes us compromise growing into who we naturally want to be?
Fear! It is for me
Fear of being hurt (yes from snakes🐍….. don’t let your mind go there😜 it’s a metaphor! ~ and not that metaphor!)
Mindfulness & specific practices have helped me “slowly” start to shed my old skin
It feels awkward & uncomfortable
But somehow necessary to evolve.
If you’ve been bitten before and it’s caused you to coil up, retract, freeze.
To stay small, hide away, to keep yourself safe
Yet rather than safe, it starts to feel like a dis-ease
Let it be a sign
🎶To shed your skin & let’s get started !
Let the year of the snake
Be that bight in the bum
To peel back an old layer
For everyone’s sake
Let the year of the snake
Help you create!
Let it help you share
What’s beneath the surface
Let courage be an act of Self Care
You deserve to be comfortable in your own skin
To soften the guard
Thats keeping your gifts hidden within
🎶Shed your skin & let’s get started!
This one liner to me is not about a one night stand
It is about throwing your arms around yourself
Letting compassion hold your own hand
Letting courage give you the nudge to put yourself out there again!
In what ever form that lifts your spirit & fills your cup
Let snakes try and strike, all they like
Be the kind
That rises up
Proud & seeing clearly
It’s a new day
It’s a new year
Let it be
Time to face your fear
Don’t compromise your Self Worth!
Wasting time worrying
You did nothing wrong
You deserve to belong
You deserve to be comfortable in your own skin
🎶So shed the old one
Let’s get started!!
By all means take your time
But don’t waste it !
Worrying about snakes 🐍
Instead realise what they represent
It’s your life
It’s your responsibility
To make sure
It’s well spent
You have a choice to live it
Once bitten twice shy
Or become wise
Learn to rise 🐍
Open your eyes 👀
If you see a snake
Trust you have what it takes
To discern & make
The right move
Freezing momentarily
May feel like the safe thing to do
But you cannot stay stuck to an old skin
Be brave enough to see
Is it the type of snake that will bite you?
Or will facing it
Set you free?
You owe it to yourself
To learn the difference
🎶Shed your skin and let’s get started
You deserve to set yourself free!
Compassion is key!
Funnily enough as I went to find an image for this blog , I came across the cover of the Hunters and Collectors album – a great reminder of why compassion, especially self compassion is key – Human Frailty!
Namaste 🙏
Ps thanks for the passing comment about the year of the snake and to the other wise yogi who shared what that song was all about
You learn something new everyday – If your “listening”.
– it can all be a Metaphor for life itself.
For those who love learning through Creative Mindfulness, Music as a Metaphor for developing a Clear Mind – Full Heart – join us for our
FREE YOUR M.Y.N.D
– The Art of Mixing
Mindfulness Yoga Neuroscience Dance
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Or see what’s on @ Yoga NRG & Mindfulness Training Australia
